1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscopic biopsy forceps. It is a new and novel means of actuating the forceps as they are selectively articulated in the opening and closing actions of the cutting procedure. The integral construction is such, that it provides a surgical instrument of the most simplified construction thereby reducing the complexity and cost of the individual parts and concurrently reduces the manual labor involved in the assembly processes.
Many and varied designs of biopsy forceps are currently employed in the medical field within the endoscopic procedure concept. They are, in general, mostly of a more complicated nature, incorporating a multiplicity of highly precise and delicate parts requiring labor intense assembly procedures. This invention is specifically created to reduce the number of parts employed in the device and to greatly reduce the time and cost involved in the assembly. It is designed as a single use throwaway item. It eliminates the need for resterilization that is presently found in the prior art with reuseable biopsy forceps. In recent years it has been found that resterilization, whether by chemical means or by the use of an autoclave, has not always been adequately performed for the reuse of the instruments in a subsequent procedure. This can cause considerable dangerous risks to patients of potentially severe infections and sometimes life threatening diseases such as the AIDS virus. Cross contamination can possibly subject a medical facility and/or staff to costly and prolonged litigation caused by the use of poorly sterilized and contaminated biopsy forceps devices. Furthermore, resterilizing a biopsy forceps in the rigorous environment of an autoclave can seriously impair the precise and delicate parts of the forcep causing a malfunction or breakdown in subsequent endoscopic procedures.
Recognizing the complexity and the multiplicity of parts currently employed in the biopsy forceps designed for use in endoscopic procedures that meet with the approval of the Federal Drug Administration and the medical profession this invention precludes the use of the multiplicity of components that is evident in the prior art. By its integrated design it reduces the number of parts to the barest minimum and concurrently provides an instrument of the highest quality at the lowest possible cost. It gives the medical technician a more reliable device due to the manner in which the mechanical components are manufactured and assembled. The assembly process of this invention precludes the use of separate pivot pins, pivot pin holes, screws, shims, rivets and the critical riveting operations, soldering, toggle links and cam tracks. The elimination of the multiplicity of manufactured parts and the tedious assembly procedures found in the prior art reduces the unit cost and renders a more reliable device than that which is currently available.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The current state of the art technology found in the field of endoscopic biopsy forceps is exemplified in the Esser-Doherty U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,612. In this concept the usual types of pivot pins and screws normally used to open and close the forceps are still evident. The toggle links, usually found in the prior art have been replaced with a cam track cut in the shank portion of the forcep to articulate the action of the device. It should be noted that the cam tracks, while effectively actuating the forceps from the open to closed position, diminish the cross sectional structural strength of the shank portion of the forcep. Conversely, this invention, by the embodiment of its integral design, dramatically increases the cross sectional structural strength of the shank portion of of the forceps by the elimination of cam tracks and holes that are used for pins and screws.
The following list of patents, which are cited in the Esser-Doherty U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,612 mentioned above, are considered to be representative of the current state of the art technology.
Komiya U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,987
Blake, III, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,374
Rich, U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,185
Walter et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,701
Additional designs of biopsy forceps, all of which use a multiplicity of complex parts and pivot points, linkages, toggle arrangements and soldering operations are respectively shown in Komiya U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,003; Hayashi U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,471; Maslamka U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,751; and Schmidt U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,636. It can be seen from what is disclosed therein that the multiplicity of complex parts, toggle links, linkage systems, screws, and rivets all tend to add to the manufacture of, and assembly, of extremely delicate components requiring a high degree of manual labor thereby concurrently escalating the unit cost of the devices. The high cost of these devices preempts their sale as a single use, throwaway instrument.